The Overnight Observation
by bigbangenthusiast
Summary: Sheldon watches over Amy after a traumatic event.


**A/N: Spring is finally here, and with it comes a new story. Thank you to Eyedragon88 for the prompt. I hope you enjoy!**

Dawn's first rays of sunlight fell on Sheldon's weary eyes. He didn't mean to fall asleep. He didn't even think it was possible from this awkward position and especially not after last night's ordeal.

Pushing himself up from the vinyl chair, he stumbled the three steps to his wife's bedside. It was comforting to see her chest rhymically rise and fall beneath the crisp white blanket. A glance at the vital sign monitor provided extra reassurance that her blood pressure and heart rate had returned to normal.

She mumbled and shifted just enough to allow him room to join her. All night he'd wanted so desperately to wrap his arms around her, as he did every night, but the third shift nurse pointed to the chair, leaving him no choice if he wished to stay with her.

Gently he brushed a stray lock of hair from Amy's forehead then draped his arm over her waist. Part of him hoped she would feel his presence, but her eyes remained closed. It was probably for the best. Rest was what she needed more than anything right now.

* * *

The 911 call and subsequent ride to the hospital were a blur. Even the deafening siren was barely noticeable to him as the ambulance swerved around traffic at top speed. His focus was solely on Amy and getting her the help she needed.

It wasn't the first time she complained of dizziness in the days leading up to the event, but none of her previous episodes resulted in her passing out. One minute she was standing next to him by the whiteboard in their apartment, and the next she was on the ground. He didn't even have time to catch her.

When they arrived at the hospital, he ran behind the paramedics who wheeled his wife down a long corridor. He bent over to catch his breath, and then they were gone. Disoriented, he somehow found a reception desk where he was told to have a seat while Amy underwent some tests.

"What kind of tests?"

The receptionist tapped at her keyboard. "A CT scan and some labs. Please have a seat," she encouraged him again.

"My wife lost consciousness, and you expect me to just sit back like nothing happened? I need to see her!" he demanded, not even caring that patients and family members were staring at him.

"Sir, please…"

"No one calls me sir," he huffed. "I'm a doctor, Dr. Sheldon Cooper."

"Dr. Cooper, I can see that you're very upset. Your wife is in good hands with our highly-trained medical staff. When I have an update, I will let you know."

He wanted to argue, but it wouldn't get him anywhere. With an incomprehensible grumble, he pulled a packet of Purell wipes from his bag to sanitize the arms and seat of a germ-infested chair. Satisfied it was safe to touch, he slumped down.

Dark thoughts creeped into Sheldon's mind. Dizziness is a symptom of many ailments, ranging from easily treatable conditions, like dehydration, to more serious diagnoses, such as a tumor. He shuddered at that thought. One of Amy's best qualities was her mind, and for her to lose her mental function would be devastating. But even worse would be losing her altogether. He pushed that morbid thought aside.

To help pass the time, he attempted to recite pi to 1000 places. The numbers marched through his mind, but they were jumbled. Each time the wrong number presented itself, he groaned in frustration and started from the beginning.

"Dr. Cooper?"

A man in scrubs stood before him, and his mouth went dry. "My wife Amy, is… is she okay?"

The man nodded. "Your wife will be just fine. If you could follow me, I'll go over her results."

"Can I see her first?"

"Of course. She's resting right now in a patient room where we would like to keep her overnight for observation."

The man introduced himself as Dr. Reed from the radiology department. He led the way down a long hall, but Sheldon couldn't concentrate on the man's words. If Amy was fine, why did they need to keep her overnight? Just a precaution? They stopped in front of a door, and after getting the okay, he peeked in. She certainly looked okay. No different than she did while sleeping in their bed at home. Stepping inside, he approached the bed and leaned over. Before his lips could touch her forehead, the doctor reminded him that Amy needed to rest and promised he could visit her soon.

Down another corridor, they sat in a small room with two chairs next to a desk. Sheldon willed himself to stop fidgeting. He took a deep breath and asked about Amy's prognosis. Dr. Reed reassured him that her scans came back normal. At Sheldon's insistence, he displayed the images on the computer. Amy was the brain expert, but even he could see there were no masses.

"So if it's not a tumor, what is it?"

"The lab ran some blood tests to rule out anemia…"

"Anemia! Of course! I'll make sure she gets on an iron-rich diet. It has been awhile since Amy's made her famous beef loaf."

"We ruled out anemia. Her iron levels are normal."

"Then it must be dehydration. I'll start monitoring her fluid intake."

"Slight dehydration may have helped contribute to her loss of consciousness, but it's not the main cause. We placed her on IV fluids to replenish her levels."

Sheldon frowned. "If dehydration isn't the main cause, what is?" His eyes widened as the doctor described the lab's findings. Finally, he had an answer.

* * *

Amy shifted in his arms, but she continued to sleep. He smoothed down her hair and on instinct, the words his mother sang to him when he was sick softly flowed from his lips.

"Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur…"

Amy shifted again. That had to be a good sign. Maybe he should have started singing earlier. When the song ended, he repeated the lyrics again.

"Sheldon?" Amy blinked against the harsh overhead lights.

His need for closure forced him to finish the song, though he rushed through the last part. "Amy! You're awake!" He tightened his hold on her, hot tears soaking through the blanket.

She blinked again. "Where are we? What's going on?"

"You don't remember any of it?"

"Remember what?" Looking around the room, she gasped. "How did I end up in the hospital?"

"We were going over some formulas on the whiteboard before bedtime. We were standing for over an hour when your complained of dizziness. Then you passed out, so I called 911. I didn't know what else to do."

"Am… am I okay? I mean, I feel okay. Did I hit my head?" She felt the top of her head for bumps.

"Your head is fine," he reassured her. "I saw the scans myself."

Amy released a sigh of relief. "Did you tell the doctors that wasn't the first time I felt dizzy?"

"I did."

"Did they figure out the cause?"

He licked his lips. "They did."

She gripped his hand in a bone crushing hold. "Sheldon, just tell me. I… I can handle it."

Before he could utter a single word, the first shift nurse came barging in. "How is the patient this morning? Just take your time sitting up. We don't want you to get dizzy again."

"I think I can manage." Amy pushed herself up on her elbows then lay back down. "Maybe not."

"Take all the time you need. I assume your husband told you the news?"

"I was about to before you interrupted. Can you give us a few minutes?"

"Of course. If you need anything, just press the button. Room service can be requested through the TV. Breakfast is available until 10 o'clock."

"Thank you."

Sheldon waited until the sound of her footsteps faded into the distance. He lowered his lips to Amy's then cleared his throat. "What I'm about to tell you is shocking…" Amy gasped and gripped his hand even tighter. "I'm sorry, that didn't come out right." He swallowed then tried again. "Amy, you're going to be just fine. The doctor suggested lots of rest, a healthy diet with regular meal intervals, and to avoid standing for long periods of time."

"Aren't those rules all humans should follow?"

"Well, yes, but especially for someone in your condition." He placed his hand on her belly. "You have more than one person to care for now."

Her gaze drifted to where his hand rested. "More than one…" Her eyes widened. "Am I pregnant?"

"Yes! I couldn't believe it either. I mean, I can because we haven't been using protection since December, but it was still a shock."

Amy curled her fingers around his. "A baby. We're having a baby," she murmured.

"Not just one baby. Twins. Two isn't a factor of 15, but it's almost one-seventh of the way there."

"We're not having 15 children. These two might be all we have. I don't want to put myself through this again."

"You're right. I don't think I want to go through this again either. I was so afraid for you that I couldn't focus on anything. Equations looked like gibberish, and everything after the first ten digits of pi was wiped from my memory."

She leaned over and pressed her lips to his. "I'm sorry I scared you. I promise to follow doctor's orders so it doesn't happen again."

"Good. I couldn't stand the thought of losing you and our progeny."

Wrapped in each other's embrace, Sheldon heard footsteps nearing. The nurse stood in the doorway with a smile on her face. She mouthed 'congratulations' then quietly walked away.

.


End file.
